Toronto Mayor Rob Ford pledges to 'just roll with the punches' should he be removed from office Friday

Rob Ford pledges to 'just roll with the punches' should he be removed from office

On what could be his last day in office, Mayor Rob Ford pledged to “just roll with the punches” should the appeal of his conflict of interest case not come out in his favour.

“I believe in the judicial system and just hope for the best,” Mr. Ford told reporters in brief remarks outside his office. “What will be will be.”

The Divisional Court panel of three judges will reveal Friday morning if it is upholding or overturning Justice Charles Hackland’s decision to toss the mayor out of office for violating the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act.

If the decision stands, Mayor Ford will be automatically out of a job — unless otherwise specified by the judges — and city hall thrust into the chaotic business of figuring out how to fill his seat.

“I’m anxious,” said Doug Holyday, the deputy mayor, who will assume the duties of the mayor should Mr. Ford be out. “I’ll be down there at city hall and I’ll do what has to be done.”

The first step will be to call a special meeting of council during which the position of mayor will be formally declared vacant. City council then has 60 days to either call a byelection or appoint a Toronto resident to carry out the term, which could be Mr. Ford.

In a shifting landscape, it’s difficult to say which way the majority is swinging, but a number of councillors from both sides of the political spectrum said it’s the electorate, not 44 city councillors, that should decide who leads Toronto. The cost of doing so, at least $7-million, has some right wingers balking at going back to the polls. They argue the mayor — who would have been thrown out for voting to rescind a council resolution requiring him to repay $3,150 in donations to his football foundation, after the integrity commissioner found he improperly used city resources to solicit funds — should be appointed back to his job.

“We have an agenda in this city and that agenda needs to continue,” said Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, who plans to put the mayor’s name forward for reappointment. He said Mr. Ford has “said sorry to those involved… And there is no reason why he shouldn’t be reappointed.”

Doing so would be akin to ignoring the will of the courts, countered Councillor Janet Davis.

I think it’s time we brought some sanity to this place

“I think it’s time we brought some sanity to this place,” she added. “We need a reset here, a new sense of direction and purpose,” echoed Councillor Gord Perks.

Councillor Adam Vaughan said going to the polls would be the fairest thing to do, but other issues cloud that, such as the still outstanding results of an audit into the mayor’s 2010 campaign spending.

“If he cheated during the last campaign, I’m not sure we should be considering his name for anything,” said Mr. Vaughan.

Councillors Gary Crawford and Frank Di Giorgio, allies of the mayor, also appear to favour a byelection, although Mr. Di Giorgio predicted the city won’t have to make the decision.

“I would be very surprised if the three-panel judgment does not overturn the original judgment which was theoretically based on the letter of the law,” said Mr. Di Giorgio. “I think one has to look beyond the letter of the law to the intent of the law to see what the appropriate decision might be.”